Multiple people have told me that former Speaker Fabian Nunez is having to step in and take a leadership role in the budget negotiations because Speaker Bass and her staff don’t seem capable of making it happen.

I never thought I would actually want to see Nunez as Speaker again.

It is a strange day.… Read More

As a Jewish Republican, it’s kind of novel to be singled out by Governor Schwarzenegger in Yiddish, which is what happened a couple of days ago when the Governor participated in a video-conference interview with the editorial board of the San Diego Union Tribune. But I must admit to being honored to have two outstanding called-out ”colleagues" – KFI radio talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou – great Americans. Longtime FR friend Chris Reed is a member of the U-T’s Editorial Board and blogged about a quip made by the Governor:

BONUS TIDBIT: The governor made clear he’s paying close attention to the media in the budget battle, and not just mainstream heavyweights like the Sac Bee and the L.A. Times. He said he hoped his recently aggressive push to sell his compromise budget as a "way out of the problem, solving it once and for all" would make Republican lawmakers more comfortable with his plan. If he gets them aboard, "then maybe there’s only out there John & Ken… Read More

As a Jewish Republican, it’s kind of novel to be singled out by Governor Schwarzenegger in Yiddish, which is what happened a couple of days ago when the Governor participated in a video-conference interview with the editorial board of the San Diego Union Tribune. But I must admit to being honored to have two outstanding called-out ”colleagues" – KFI radio talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou – great Americans. Longtime FR friend Chris Reed is a member of the U-T’s Editorial Board and blogged about a quip made by the Governor:

BONUS TIDBIT: The governor made clear he’s paying close attention to the media in the budget battle, and not just mainstream heavyweights like the Sac Bee and the L.A. Times. He said he hoped his recently aggressive push to sell his compromise budget as a "way out of the problem, solving it once and for all" would make Republican lawmakers more comfortable with his plan. If he gets them aboard, "then maybe there’s only out there John & Ken… Read More

There are a lot of reasons why legislators should be opposing Senator Don Perata’s SB 1407. This measure which would raise all kinds of fees associated with courts in order to then finance $5 BILLION in bonds (that would take about $10 BILLION in funds to repay over time) in order to build new and modernize old court facilities.

I am quite sure that there is merit in the argument that the infrastructure for our state’s court system is in need of modernization.

But the means to achieve this, as set out in SB 1407, is extremely poor public policy. You can read a cornucopia of reasons to oppose it in a column penned for the FlashReport last week by Assemblyman Joel Anderson. I will reinforce what is clearly the single most important reason. As a matter of principle and sound public policy, legislators should not incur debt for the taxpayers of California without first taking the… Read More

As FR readers know, KFI’s John and Ken have been extremely vocal in recent weeks, expressing dismay over Governor Schwarzenegger’s decision to do a 180 on his often-repeated no taxes pledge. We’ve been equally as vocal here. We’ve all got something in common — we all supported Governor Schwarzenegger in his elections because he made us a promise, a pledge, a commitment — that the taxpayers, "would not be punished for the mistakes of politicians." Right. We are now official chumps, I suppose.

The Governor "called out" John and Ken, and yours truly earlier in the week (read about that here) for our opposition to a tax hike as any part of dealing with the state’s overspending problem.

Well, John and Ken reached out and now I will be appearing on their show later this afternoon. If you are free during the 3… Read More

Update: The bill passed 42-33.

:With several speakers for and against AB 2747 by Asm. Patty Berg, the Assemblytook upthe Senate’s amended version of what is known as the ‘end-of life care’ bill.It did not pass on the first ballot,by a vote of 38-31. It is on call and will be taken up for another vote later today.… Read More

After some wonderful feedback from people all over California regarding purging state government of the Tire Unit of the Integrated Waste Management Board I have several others to add to the list.

My second suggestion would be to let the free market work in regards to hearing aid regulation. Somehow I don’t think too many people would suffer harm.

You can read more about the Hearing Aide Dispensers Bureau here.

This is hardly the kind of government that is going to be missed if it was eliminated.

Don’t raise taxes of any kind to save this part of state government. Eliminate it and let’s move on to a smaller more efficient state government.

This would be a great box to blow up.… Read More

Grover Norquist the President of Americans for Tax Reform has issued a strong statement against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed large sales tax increase, which is a center piece to his current budget proposal. This follows up on an a column he penned for the FlashReport which ran last week. Also of note from Norquist — FR readers may recall that we blogged about a group of self-described affluent folks who wrote to the legislature asking to be taxed at a higher rate to help solve the budget problems. Norquist sent a letter to the Governor and legislature in response to this, which is attached below his statement on the tax plan…it is a must… Read More